African Democratic Congress has criticised the Federal Government’s celebration of Nigeria’s reported Gross Domestic Product growth, arguing that the economic figures fail to reflect the harsh realities confronting ordinary Nigerians.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party accused the government of attempting to “whitewash” widespread economic hardship through favourable macroeconomic statistics.
The ADC said worsening inflation, soaring food prices, weak purchasing power, unemployment, and the collapse of small businesses demonstrate that many Nigerians have yet to feel the benefits of the reported growth.
“People do not eat GDP,” the party declared, insisting that economic performance should be measured by improvements in citizens’ living conditions rather than figures contained in official reports.
“Economic growth that does not reduce suffering, create jobs, improve incomes, or restore dignity to citizens is empty growth. Growth that only exists in official reports while citizens descend deeper into hardship is not meaningful progress,” the statement read.
The party further accused the government of focusing more on economic narratives than the daily struggles of citizens in markets, factories, farms, and homes across the country.
“Food prices are unbearable. Transportation costs have become punitive. Small businesses are shutting down daily under the crushing weight of inflation, energy costs, and weak consumer demand. Salaries have lost value. Families who once lived modestly are now struggling to survive,” the stated.
Questioning the basis for public celebration, the party asked what Nigerians were expected to rejoice over amid worsening economic conditions.
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“What exactly should Nigerians celebrate? The fact that food inflation continues to devastate households? That millions of young Nigerians remain unemployed or underemployed? That businesses are collapsing faster than new ones are emerging?” the statement queried.
The criticism followed a recent report by Quartus Economics indicating that Nigeria’s dollar-denominated GDP rose by 22 per cent to approximately $307 billion in 2025, driven by stronger economic output and the appreciation of the naira.
According to the report, Nigeria’s GDP increased from about $252 billion in 2024 to $307.5 billion in 2025, while nominal GDP rose from N372.8 trillion to N441.5 trillion within the same period.
The report also noted that Nigeria outperformed the Sub-Saharan African average and surpassed several major African economies, including South Africa, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, and Angola in growth rate, with only Ghana recording stronger expansion.
Despite the figures, the ADC maintained that statistical growth alone cannot define national progress if citizens continue to struggle with hunger, unemployment, and rising costs of living.
“The purpose of governance is not to manage public relations for economic statistics. The purpose of governance is to improve the living conditions of the people,” the party said.
The statement comes amid continued public debate over the impact of the Federal Government’s economic reforms, including fuel subsidy removal and foreign exchange market adjustments, which authorities say are necessary for long-term recovery but which have significantly increased living costs nationwide.